1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for examining a target biopolymer such as a gene and the like through amplification of the biopolymer using capsules.
2. Description of the Related Art
In amplifying DNA, plastic reactors are usually used to carry out a reaction between target DNA and a particular enzyme. In the case where a well plate or the like is used as the reactor, it not only takes time to dispense samples but also requires a large space for amplification reactions and detection of amplification results, which has been a problem. To resolve this problem, a method is suggested in which target DNA and an amplification reaction sample are enclosed in a capsule and DNA is amplified inside the capsule.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-313861 ('861 document) describes conducting DNA amplification reactions inside capsules. According to this patent document, a sample is taken out of a capsule by centrifugal separation, by an aspiration technique using capillary tubes, or the like in order to analyze DNA amplified in the capsule. The taken-out sample is then analyzed by electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography, enzyme immunoassay, or the like to obtain results such as presence and absence of amplification products. In other words, according to this technique, only the amplification reaction is conducted in the capsule, and the crucial step of analyzing the results of amplification reactions is conducted in a reaction tube composed of polypropylene or the like, as has been practiced in the past. This means that, according to the method described in the '861 document, an extra step of transferring the sample from the capsule to the reaction tube composed of polypropylene or the like is needed in comparison to the related art. This complicates the procedure as a whole. Encapsulation of the amplification sample rather requires more work than dispensing of the sample.
Moreover, in order to efficiently analyze large quantities of amplification products, equipment such as well plates is needed. Thus, space-saving attempted by the '861 document remains unachieved when the examination process is viewed as a whole.
Furthermore, when mishandling occurs in the course of taking the encapsulated amplified DNA out of the capsule, the amplified DNA may scatter into atmosphere, land on nearby regions, or stay afloat in the air. Thus, there is a risk that contamination will occur for other DNA analysis.
In systems for examining biopolymers such as genes, large quantities of different specimens must be processed quickly. In order to handle specimens containing different types of DNA and the like within a single system, care must be taken to avoid contamination. In some cases, a plurality of types of reagents and the like to be mixed with specimens are needed depending on the contents of the examination. They need to be handled smoothly and quickly.
Still other techniques for performing amplification by enclosing samples in capsules have been disclosed.
United Stated Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-0202429 discloses a process of conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a permeable (penetrative) capsule and detecting the amplification products.
International Publication No. WO 06/038035 discloses a technique of performing expression inside microcapsules, transporting the microcapsules in a fluid, and sorting the microcapsules by flow cytometry (FCM) or the like.
However, none of the techniques described in these patent documents is designed to or is compatible to continuously perform a series of processes including encapsulation, amplification, and detection on a plurality of different specimens and reagents.